Waking Nightmares
by Knight Writer 95
Summary: Sequel to 'Fire and Ice'. Daniel and Elsa have been together for one year when he gets a summons back to the 21st century to investigate a murder. But the murderer has a grudge against Daniel who might not be able to win this time. How can he when the people he cares about most get trapped in the dream world, the killers home field, with him?
1. The Summons

_Waking Nightmares_

_Ch. 1: The Summons_

Katy Fletcher dragged herself across the threshold of her apartment in San Francisco after a long and unnaturally busy day at work. She had been up for ten hours straight and the need for sleep almost wouldn't let her get ready for bed. But Katy somehow managed to resist the urge long enough to slip on a long shirt that stopped mid-thigh and mix a night cap. After downing the drink she let the day take its toll and succumbed to the sweet embrace of sleep. She was asleep before her head hit the pillow.

* * *

><p>"Huh? Where am I?"<p>

Katy looked around in a stupor as she attempted to gather all her marbles. After a few seconds her mind started working again and she recognized where she was. She was in the suburbs, the houses all lined up in neat rows. But what was she was doing here in the middle of the night? Indeed, it was night and the only illumination came from the insides of the houses and the street lights and Katy was in the middle of the street still in her night clothes. She was about to look for a street sign when she heard a malevolent chuckle that seemed to come from all directions at once.

"H-hello? Is anyone there?" she managed to stammer.

Silence.

Katy swallowed nervously and decided it would be best to hail a cab back to her apartment before remembering she was in her nighty. That's when she noticed something else. The street was empty and the city was absolutely silent. There was always noise in this city even at night and for there to be no cars at all to be seen was highly irregular. Katy's breathing became heavier and she moved towards the nearest house. Nobody answered the door when she rang the doorbell or knocked on the door. Katy was going to try another house when the same chuckle she heard earlier once again penetrated the uncomfortable silence and she whirled around.

This time Katy saw someone. There was a man in a long coat and fedora hat standing in the light of a streetlamp at the corner across the street. The backlight obscured his face and cast a long shadow on the ground.

"Is somebody lost?"

His voice was rough and gravelly, like someone who smoked too much.

"Are you lost… Katy?"

"How do you know my name?"

"Oh Katy, I know all about you," the man said and stepped away from the lamp.

Now that the stranger was in better lighting Katy could see his face and it made her nauseous. He was disfigured, scarred, his face looked as though it had been melted and someone had done a sloppy job putting it back together.

"What do you say, Katy?" he continued as he advanced. "Care for a night out on the town? I think it would be something to die for!"

"Stay a-away from me!" Katy pleaded as she pressed up against the door to the house.

"With all that fear I couldn't stay away from you if I wanted… and I don't want to," he said with a wicked grin that showed pointed and rotten teeth.

"Please, just leave me alone!"

"I can't do that, not with the fear and that I need you to send a message for me."

"I-I'll do anything you ask, just leave!"

"Yes, Katy, you will do anything I ask."

The man flicked his arm and a razor sharp blade extended from above his hand on a spring loaded contraption.

"Now die for me!"

* * *

><p>Katy whimpered in her bed, struggling as though trying to get away from something. Suddenly her nightshirt was split open down the middle and a bloody gash was carved into her flesh. She started screaming but it only lasted mere seconds before another deep gash appeared across her chest she started choking and coughed up blood. A second later she became absolutely still.<p>

An unseen hand started carving on the flesh of her stomach, making a message on the dead woman's body. It was a message for one particular person.

_I'm back!_

_Come and get me if you dare,_

_Griffin_

* * *

><p>One year. That's how long I had been in nineteenth century Arendelle. One year of peace and happiness. One year I had been with Elsa. It was the best year of my life. Now our one year anniversary was right around the corner and I wanted it to be memorable for Elsa. The only problem was I didn't have the slightest clue what to do. I knew she loved chocolate almost as much as Anna but I wanted something more, something really special. Perhaps a drawing? No, I didn't have time to make one as elaborate as I'd like and I was not going to take a rain check. Then maybe a musical composition? That seemed doable if my imagination didn't up and leave me. And with time so short it was my only option. But I wouldn't be me if something didn't happen to disrupt my efforts in the worst or, in this case, the best way possible.<p>

It was afternoon and Anna, Kristoff, Elsa and myself were finishing our midday meal.

"Alright, those movies sound terrifying!" said Kristoff as he drank some wine.

"They are, they wouldn't be called horror films otherwise," I responded with a grin.

"Why would anybody want to see them?" Anna asked.

"For some reason we just like to be scared. I don't know why, I'm not a psychologist, but we like the thrill and suspense we get by watching these movies. It's not just movies that can scare us, there are also some pretty scary books. You've all read _Frankenstein_, how did it make you feel?"

"I barely slept for a week after I read it," answered Elsa.

"Did you read the whole book?"

"Yes, I did."

"OK, why did you read it all the way through if it scared you so much?"

The queen hesitated for a few seconds before answering. "I don't know. It terrified me, but at the same time, I couldn't stop reading it."

"It was the same for me when I read it the first time," added Anna.

"That's part of the magic of the horror genre. It introduces us to characters that we can sometimes relate to and like and puts them in life or death situations. Will the heroine survive and vanquish the killer or will she become his next victim? What keeps us reading or watching is that we want to know what happens to the hero or heroine. That keeps us from putting the book down because then we never know, is there a happy ending? That's not always the case with horror movies from when I come from. There are horror franchises where almost all the characters we like die by the end of the movie. But the movies keep on coming with the same villain going up against different people.

"Sometimes some of the heroes will survive we see them again in the sequel, but don't get too attached because now they're going to die and we have to watch and see if the new kids will survive. But it's that we get invested in the characters that keeps us hooked, that keeps us from putting the book down or running out of the theater. We just want to know, does my favorite character make it? That's why we like horror movies and books. Once we start we have to know. It's that simple. Of course the price we have to pay is a bout of insomnia for the fear that the monsters we saw or read about will come and kill us in our sleep."

There was a brief silence as we returned to our meals. I was about to speak again when I heard a noise.

"Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Anna asked with a mouthful of bread.

"I thought I head something."

"I didn't hear anything."

"There it is again! Shush!"

There was no doubt about it. This time the noise lasted longer. It sounded like one continuous arc of electricity. Arcs began to play around some of the metal object in the dining hall and a sphere of energy appeared close to the doors and created gusts of wind. The energies inside the sphere swirled around before it was all drawn back into the device that it had originated from. Standing where the sphere had been was a man with a staff not too dissimilar from my own. To add to that, I recognized the staff and the person it belonged to.

"Andrew?"

"Daniel! It is good to see you, how have you been?"

"I've been fine, what about you?" I grinned as I got up to greet my friend and former apprentice.

"Great, I've been just great! However, I am here for a reason."

"I'm not surprised. What does the Confederation need me for now? Has the Merlin misplaced the keys to his chambers? No, wait, don't answer that! I'm forgetting my manners. Please sit down and I'll introduce you."

"And I am looking forward to that."

"Don't start," I groaned.

"I'm just messing with you," he grinned as we sat down.

"I can't believe I still for that."

"Daniel, who's your friend?" asked Anna.

"Everyone, this is my former apprentice, Andrew Slacedo. Andrew, this is Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff."

"Pleasure to meet you all, Elsa! Daniel told me about you before he came back here. Let me say, his description does not do you justice! You could make an angel jealous."

It had been a while since I'd seen Elsa turn that red.

"As much as I'd like to catch up I have to ask, why are you here? I know the Confederation wouldn't let you come here on a social visit."

"You are right, something has come up and the Protectorate wants you to come back for the investigation."

"What happened?"

"That I do not know, they wouldn't tell me."

"Well that's a good sign right there," I muttered. "Tell you what, spend the night here and we'll go back in the morning."

"You won't hear any arguments from me, I've not been getting much sleep lately."

"You look like hell, I was wondering about that," I commented. "How have you been staying awake?"

"Triple espresso is now my best friend."

The rest of dinner was mostly filled by Andrew finding ways to make us laugh, be by telling jokes or sharing an embarrassing story about me. I was now secretly plotting my revenge. At the end of dinner I pulled Andrew aside and took him to library to talk to him privately. If this panned out the way I hoped then I could do something extra special for Elsa for our anniversary.

"Andrew, this is mine and Elsa's one year anniversary and I want to do something special for her. Do you know if I can take her with us to 2019?"

Andrew smiled. "Daniel, you can bring all three of them."

"Really? You mean it? The Confederation won't throw a bunch of red tape in my way?"

"Renner told me that the Confederation said that it's alright if they come with us. Go tell them to pack a bag."

* * *

><p>"What's got you in such a good mood tonight?" asked Elsa as I walked into our bedchamber whistling.<p>

"Well, as you know our one year anniversary is right around the corner and I have been struggling to find a special enough present for you. But, Andrew has just given me some good news."

"And what's the news?"

"Elsa, how would you feel about a trip to the year 2019?"

"What? Are you serious?" she asked incredulously while sitting up in the bed.

"Yes, the Confederation says that it's alright for you to come with me. What do you say?"

"When do we leave?"

"Tomorrow after breakfast, don't bother to pack a bag, we can get you all some clothes there which you will need if you're to blend in."

"Thank you, Daniel, this is the best anniversary present!"

"Actually, on second thought, maybe this isn't a good idea."

Elsa whipped her around so fast I thought her braid might hit her in the face. "Why not?"

"Well If I take you to the twenty-first century now how am I supposed to top this present next anniversary?" I asked half serious half jokingly.

Elsa hit me playfully in the arm. "After everything you've told me about your century I very much want to see more of it than just the few items you brought back with you. We're going."

"Alright, we'll go," I said with a fake groan.

Elsa giggled at my antics and snuggled up to me as I extinguished the lights. She couldn't wait for the next day.

* * *

><p>I think it is going to be a memorable anniversary, just not in the way they're hoping. Happy Halloween, don't egg houses or do anything foolish. Hope you like this chapter, reviews=love. (Hint hint)<p> 


	2. Back to the Future

_Ch. 2: Back to the Future_

The following morning the palace was charged with positive energy as the queen, the princess, and the Ice Master all anticipated the coming trip to the twenty-first century. I had extended the invitation to Anna and Kristoff with Elsa's permission at breakfast and the tow readily agreed. Well, Anna readily agreed while it took just a bit of nudging with Kristoff. The large man eventually capitulated when Anna turned her pouty eyes on him. No one could resist Anna when she used her pouty eyes. Andrew woke up saying he felt particularly well rested, a feeling that he had almost forgotten with the hours he worked. Breakfast seemed to be a hurried affair that morning with even Elsa seeming to clean her plate faster than normal. For a bit of fun, Andrew and I took longer than we would have normally to finish. Finally after everything had been taken care of we were ready to depart.

"Alright, is everyone sure they are ready?" I asked as Andrew set the coordinates.

"Yes, we're ready! Can we go now?" asked Anna with almost excessive enthusiasm.

"We can go, the coordinates are set," Andrew confirmed with a grin.

"Great, but if you feel like you have to throw up when we land, don't say we didn't warn you."

"Everyone get close together, spatial-temporal displacement will occur in three… two…"

"Wait! I almost forgot something! Just a minute!"

"What is it this time?"

I didn't answer Andrew's question. Instead I just whistled as loud as I could. Seconds later the doors burst open and Shadow bounded in, Hobbes riding on top of him.

"You seriously didn't think I'd leave without these two did you?"

"Shadow I can understand but Hobbes? I'm surprised you still have him."

"Well, he can be problematic but he's grown on me and is a good indicator for where dark magic has been used."

"Right, he starts hissing and arches his back. Is that it?"

Yes, it is."

"Alright, here we go," Andrew said and pressed the stud.

The watch glowed and swirling blue energy flowed out to envelope us in a sphere. The energy swirled around us faster and faster, obscuring our view of what was beyond. The sensation of traveling through time was like trying to stay upright on a rocky road in a car. It's possible but the sensation stays with you for a while after. After less than a minute the swirling slowed down and was drawn back into the watch. When we departed we were in the Arendelle palace, 1843. Now we were in the time chamber of Government Hall in San Francisco, 2019. The royal family looked like they needed a minute to catch their breath but Andrew and I didn't.

"Just give it a minute and you'll find your land legs again," I said.

"That was… that was…" breathed Elsa, struggling to find the words to describe the experience that was time travel.

"Exhilarating? Disorienting? Semi-nauseating?" guessed Andrew.

"A bit of all three, actually. So, we made it? This is the year 2019?"

"Indeed it is, Elsa. You three are now time travelers," I grinned.

"And I'm proud to be the first to welcome you to our century."

In the doorway to the chamber was a young woman in her mid-twenties with light mocha skin, shoulder blade length luxurious black hair and brown almond shaped eyes.

"Daniel, it's good to see you again."

"I can certainly say the same, Elena. Elsa, may I introduce a good friend of mine, Elena Amala. Elena, it is my distinct honor to introduce you to Queen Elsa of Arendelle, Princess Anna, and her fiancé, Kristoff."

"It is a pleasure to meet all of you," smiled Elena as she bowed slightly. "Please, come this way. You will want to change into period clothes before you leave and Daniel is wanted at the scene as soon as possible."

"As soon as possible? Who was murdered? A council member or someone else high profile?" I inquired as we walked deeper into Government Hall.

"No, the murder was not high profile but from what I know it sounds like it's the murderer himself that has the Protectorate on edge."

"Really? Know who the killer is?"

"No, I do not. But I believe you have experience with him and that is why we called you."

"Alright then, sounds like the sooner I get over to the crime scene the better. I'll leave right now. Andrew, take our friends to the wardrobe and keep them company until I get back. Then I'll take you on a tour of San Francisco in the twenty-first century, how does that sound your majesty?"

"That sounds wonderful. We'll see you when you return," Elsa smiled as she gave me a kiss.

"I will return as soon as possible and take you an unforgettable tour of the city and cap it with a dinner at one of the finest restaurants in the city, the _Boulevard_," I promised and then whistled for Shadow who promptly ran right up to me. Hobbes sauntered up to Elsa and sat down next to her, indicating he was staying. I smiled and retreated down a hallway to the parking garage with Shadow bounding happily along after me.

The group continued to walk deeper into the subterranean building with most of the conversation happening between Anna, Kristoff, and Andrew. Elsa was quiet, sometimes stealing glances at Elena.

"So… how do you know Daniel?" she finally asked the other woman.

"We dated briefly three years ago. Our relationship didn't last long, though. Daniel was still torn up over losing Alana and shouldn't have been seeing anyone at the time."

"Is that the only reason you broke apart?"

"If you're trying to find out if I'm a threat to your relationship with him, let me assure you, I'm not."

"What? What makes you think that?"

"It's only natural. If you meet one of your boyfriend's exes of course you'll want to find out if there's still something there. And for the record, while we admitted that there was an attraction between us, we also agreed we were better suited for friendship than romance. He's all yours, your majesty and besides, he too virtuous to cheat on you. That's a rare quality in men these days, consider yourself very lucky."

Elsa smiled.

"Now what about you? What's it like being a queen?"

"Stressful. There's so much I have to do, so many decisions. I'm grateful that I have Anna and Daniel to remind me to just take some time for myself and relax on occasion."

"What about you and Daniel? Is your relationship good?"

"It couldn't be better right now. We have disagreements, of course, but we always resolve them before the evening. I really feel fortunate to have him in my life. He's helped change the way I see myself and my abilities. He makes me feel special, goes out of his way to do nice things for me, surprises me with some sort of gift every now and then, he's just wonderful."

"He is an extraordinary and increasingly rare kind of guy. Most men these days tend to forget anniversaries after a year but not Daniel, I'm sure. He's been through more in his six years in the Protectorate than others have been in a decade, and with everything he's lost in that time he definitely deserves someone like you."

"When I first met him he mentioned that he had lost a lot in his life. How much has he lost?"

"He hasn't told you already?"

"No, he hasn't."

"Then it's not my place to say. He'll talk about it when he's ready. But he's lost quite a bit. He's lost both his parents and quite a few of his friends when the war started. The hardest loss was Alana, of course."

"He's told me a lot about her. She sounds like someone I'd have gotten along with."

"She was a friend to everyone like he is. We all miss her. But enough with the sad talk, the wardrobe is right here. Men's is on the right, women's on the left. Take your time, we have plenty of it until Daniel gets back. If any of you need help or anything just holler."

* * *

><p>I met up with the wizard investigating the murder who offered to take me and Shadow to the scene. I happily accepted and within the next half hour we were pulling up outside the apartment building where the murder had taken place.<p>

"We've still got people sweeping the scene but we're pretty sure we know who killed the vic."

"Really? Can you tell me who it is? I've already been told that I have experience with the murderer and that's why I was called back from the mid-1800s."

"This is something I think you'd rather see for yourself first. It's pretty serious, it's got all the higher-ups in the Protectorate nervous."

"So I've been told," I grumbled as we reached the fourth floor.

As we reached the apartment of the deceased Shadow became tenser, his fur started to stand on end, and he started to growl but a gesture from me made him quiet down. Inside the apartment things were neat and orderly, nothing was disturbed and there were no signs of a struggle or forced entry. The victim was on the bed, a sheet covering her. Dried blood stained the sheets and its stench made me want to vomit.

"Who's the vic?" I asked as I fished into my satchel and removed Danica's crystal and stand.

"We've identified her as Katy Holmes, she's a practitioner and had a job working in the Archives."

"Thanks. Wakey-wakey, Danica, it's time to work."

"It's certainly been a while since I've heard you say that," she smiled after she materialized. "What have we got?"

"We've got a dead librarian in her mid-twenties right there."

"Yah, a murder! It's been ages since I've worked one of these! I do hope the killer is a psychopath, they leave the best puzzles."

"Danica, someone's died! Please try to reign in the enthusiasm," I asked as the sheet was pulled back.

"You know what? I take it back. I wish the murderer wasn't a psychopath."

I looked at the body and the message carved in the flesh and all color left my face.

"Daniel, this is…"

"I know who it is. But it's impossible. I defeated him last time, he's dead!"

"Apparently not. His kind are hard to really kill and I'm sure he's got a grudge. Why else ask for you?"

"And I brought Elsa and her family here! What in the name of Merlin have I done?"

"You'd better tell Elsa this sooner than you told her about the Ragnarok dragon."

"I didn't tell her about the dragon, she found out on her own."

"Exactly. Tell her. Today!"

"I will, I will, just not as soon as I get back."

"When will you then?"

"This evening, while we're at the _Boulevard. _That gives us time to enjoy the day and actually have some fun. I know Elsa won't be able to have fun if I tell her this story right away."

"Alright, but if you fail to tell her tonight then the next time you need my help brewing a potion I'll make sure it ends bad for you."

"You don't need to threaten me, I don't want Elsa angry at me and I don't fancy becoming a snowman."

"Good. Now let's finish up here and get you back to Elsa. Things are going to be smoking in town tonight!"

"Stop it!"

* * *

><p>AN: Things are getting interesting! Who is the killer? How does Daniel know him? Will he tell Elsa? Leave a review to find out!


	3. Home Again

Ch. 3: Home Again

It took Elsa a considerable amount of time to find clothes she would wear. She was embarrassed by just the sight of some of the articles of clothing. Tank tops? Miniskirts? Short shorts? And don't get her started on the swimsuits. At least she wasn't left without a wide variety to choose from since the wardrobe was enormous. Finally, though, after a lot of searching and some help from Elena, the queen was finally dressed and not too late as I had wrapped up my investigation and returned to Government Hall a few minutes later. She left the wardrobe to find me talking with Elena, Anna and Kristoff.

"Well Coit Tower is a must see, the view from the top is amazing," explained Elena.

"I agree, I can't wait for you to see it. And the Ferry building is great as well; I thought we'd have lunch there at a place called _La Mar_. No, wait, I know where we have to have lunch, it's great! Don't ask, I'm keeping it a surprise."

"Wherever you go, don't forget Fisherman's Wharf or the Exploritorium."

"We are going to be strapped for time to do all of this," I laughed. "Actually, what I'm sure Elsa would like is a visit to the DeYoung art museum."

"What are you talking about?" asked Elsa as she walked up to us.

"Elsa…" I trailed off when I saw her. "You look… fantastic."

"Thank you," she blushed.

Elsa had her hair in its customary braid and had opted for jeans, a turquoise blouse, a silver jacket, one inch white heels, and snowflake earrings. She had applied a bit of makeup which she honestly didn't need but did accentuate her beauty. The overall effect was one wizard who was suddenly struggling slightly to remember how to speak.

Anna and Kristoff also looked good, with the princess sporting purple Converse trainers, green cargo pants, a black t-shirt, and a velvet purple jacket. Kristoff had donned boots, black jeans, an army green shirt, and brown jacket.

"We were talking about what we were going to do during our day in San Francisco and what Daniel has in mind sounds fantastic!" exclaimed Anna.

"She can hardly wait to start," added Kristoff.

"Yes, she really wants to start but as it is our anniversary, I'll let you pick our first destination," I smiled to Elsa as I entwined our fingers.

"There is one place I want to see while we're here," she grinned back up at me.

Letting Anna have chocolate covered coffee beans was a mistake.

They are a favorite treat of mine and I kept a stash of them in my home. Elsa had wanted to see the place I had lived in before I moved to the nineteenth century and loved what she saw. My place was small, just two bedrooms, a small bathroom, a small living room and a kitchen but it was comfortable and homey. In fact, Andrew was living here now and the place still looked almost exactly as I remembered. The few changes made included replacing furniture, updating the kitchen appliances, and repainting the living room. But what remained, and I was particularly happy about this, was the bird feeders in the front and back yards. Both the queen and the princess loved the hummingbird and finch feeders. The finches, of course, had scattered at the first sign of movement in the house. The hummingbirds, in contrast, took a slight interest in what was going on inside but went back to their feeding when they saw it just more humans.

"Oh wow, those birds are lovely!" said Anna as she got up close.

"You like them?" I asked.

"I think they're gorgeous! Look at this Elsa! What kind of birds are they?"

"Those are hummingbirds. When I lived with my parents we put feeders out to attract them. They were skittish at first, flying away if we moved just slightly but got used to us over time. Now I can go out there and those birds are so used to me that they won't fly away. In fact, some of them land on my shoulder."

"Really?" asked Elsa, clearly surprised.

"Really, they are that used to me. I think being a wizard helps as well, they sense my magic and through that that I'm not a threat. In fact, wizards in general have an easier time with animals than non-wizards. The finches, however, will never get used to me. They still fly away at the first sign of movement."

"Still, they must be lovely to watch."

"They are, believe me. When the feeder is full they all attack it at once, pecking away while others try to shoo away some of the other to get a spot, it's great. And the hummers are almost always feeding, also occasionally fighting over a spot. I have to refill their feeder almost every other day."

I walked to the garage and opened the door, wondering if one of my most prized possessions was still here. I turned the light on a huge grin broke onto my face.

"Thank you, Andrew," I muttered.

"What's got you looking so happy?" Elsa inquired as she walked up behind me.

"Andrew kept my car. Take a look."

We stepped inside and Elsa saw a beautiful ruby red car.

"It's a 2005 Thunderbird, my most prized possession when I lived here," I informed as I opened the passenger door for the queen and then went around to the driver side. "You know, I still have my time jumper. We could convince Anna and Kristoff to go back to Arendelle ahead of us and then we could drive out to this point I know and just be alone. Just you, me, the stars, and the lights of the city. What do you think?"

"That sounds like an irresistible offer," she smiled at me.

"Then it's a date."

I glanced down at my watch and saw the time. "As nice as it is to be here with just you, we have a schedule to keep and we are going to be late if we don't leave soon."

I got out and walked around to open Elsa's door for her and we walked back into the house to get the other two lovebirds.

Anna was exploring the kitchen and had found a bag that was filled with small ball shaped pieces of chocolate.

"Daniel, what are these?" she asked when she saw us.

"Chocolate covered coffee beans, try one," I said before returning my attention to Elsa. "How are you liking the twenty-first century so far?"

"It's wonderful, terrifying, and exciting. I cannot believe how much is different from my time. You have cars, televisions, radios, mobile phones, all sorts of things I'd never have dreamed possible. I'm feeling a little overwhelmed to be honest."

"That's to be expected and it's why I'm trying to ease you in to this century. If I unloaded it all at once you might go into shock. And that's something I don't… want…" I trailed off as I realized something.

"What is it?" asked Elsa as she turned to face me.

"Anna…"

"What about her?"

"She took some chocolate covered coffee beans out of the red bag… oh boy."

"What happened?"

"Nothing dangerous, but at the same time it was not a good idea for Anna to eat the coffee beans from that bag," I answered as I started to search for Anna. Hopefully she hadn't run outside.

Kristoff was in the backyard, playing with Shadow, so she wasn't out there. That meant she was still in the house.

"Hey Elsa, there's so much neat stuff in Daniel's house. Do you want to go skydiving? I want to go skydiving. Or how about skiing? You could create a rink in the yard or… I don't know… anything!" Anna exclaimed as she appeared in the hallway giggling like a hyena. "I feel all light… and free… and energetic! Let's do something!"

"Anna, give me the bag of coffee beans," I coaxed as I slowly approached her.

"No! You're not getting them back," she squeaked and held the bag closer to her, as much seriousness on her face as could be mustered in the middle of an extreme energy high. "Go buy some more!"

"Daniel, what's happened to my sister?"

"Nothing, really. You're just seeing her when she's on a potion induced energy high."

"What?"

"Those coffee beans were laced with an energy potion. I'd eat them when I worked nights to stay awake. Now we've got to get them back from Anna before she eats too many."

"Why? What happens if she eats too many?" asked Elsa, the worry seeping into her voice.

"Nothing terrible, she won't die, but she will pass out and wake up with a not inconsiderable headache."

"Well what do we do then?"

"We have to restrain her long enough to get her to eat one of these," I replied as I went back to the kitchen and found the blue bag of coffee beans. "These coffee beans have been laced with a calming draught and should do the trick. Of course, the real trick is getting Anna to eat one."

"Eat what?"

Anna had reappeared, still wide eyed, and still giggling.

"Anna," I said gently as I slowly approached her. "You need to put the bag of coffee beans down."

"Never! Go get some more if you want some!"

"If you give me that bag then I will give you this bag," I coaxed and held up the blue bag. "I can assure you these beans are better."

Anna seemed to think about it before acquiescing.

"Alright, I'll give you back this bag."

She tossed the bag towards me and I handed her the blue bag which she snatched from my hand so fast you'd think it was a magic trick. The bag was opened and the wired redhead popped a bean into her mouth. The effect was almost immediate. No sooner had the treat been swallowed than Anna's eyes widened and she went stiff for a second before relaxing and dropping down to the floor.

"Anna?" asked Elsa as she approached her sister. "Are you alright?"

"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine… just feeling a little light headed."

"Just give it a minute, It'll pass," I assured. "Apologies as well, it's my fault you took a bean from the red bag."

"It's fine, I haven't felt that energetic in… forever really. Can I have another?"

"No!" Elsa and I exclaimed at the same time and I promptly pocketed the red bag.

"Come on," I said as we helped Anna back to her feet. "Let's get Kristoff and go. There's still plenty to see before the day is over."

"We're going to be exhausted by the evening, aren't we?"

"Not if we all have those coffee beans!"

"Will you drop the beans? You're not getting anymore!"

"Elsa?"

"Sorry, Anna, I have to agree with the wizard."

"Alright, alright, I won't mention the beans again," Anna sighed rather heavily.

"Where are we going next?"

"I was thinking that we'd start off our day in San Francisco at Pier 39 and Fisherman's Wharf," I answered before leaning out the door to the backyard and getting Kristoff's attention. "Then we'll make our way down to the Presidio and visit the Walt Disney Family Museum,

"What's at Pier 39?" asked Anna.

"Sea lions. Lots and lots of sea lions. They're all laying there, working on their tan, and when they're particularly active, they'll be shoving themselves into the water and barking like nobody's business."

"Sounds like fun," said Elsa hesitantly.

"I believe it will be, and if you don't have fun today, I'll find a way of making it up to you tonight," I smiled and leaned in to kiss her.

Shadow barked and we broke apart.

"Oh be quiet, you're worse than Danica!" I snapped.


End file.
